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ok so i don't want to knock local business because we all know we need it, but my wife and i went to ed's tonight and it was horrible. we waited over ten minutes to be greeted. i got my drink quickly but then waited another 15-20 minutes before we got our appetizer order. the calamari was brought to the bar-and then back to kitchen-and then back to bar because the server couldn't tell what it was. when we got it i knew why. it looked like fried oysters or chicken nuggets or something that was not calamari. we opted to leave after the appetizer and grabbed some dinner on our way home. we just felt like for twenty dollars we would have gotten more than 3 to 4 ounces of calamari and two drinks. very disappointing! hope they get it together
quote:
Originally posted by jasone822:
ok so i don't want to knock local business because we all know we need it, but my wife and i went to ed's tonight and it was horrible. we waited over ten minutes to be greeted. i got my drink quickly but then waited another 15-20 minutes before we got our appetizer order. the calamari was brought to the bar-and then back to kitchen-and then back to bar because the server couldn't tell what it was. when we got it i knew why. it looked like fried oysters or chicken nuggets or something that was not calamari. we opted to leave after the appetizer and grabbed some dinner on our way home. we just felt like for twenty dollars we would have gotten more than 3 to 4 ounces of calamari and two drinks. very disappointing! hope they get it together


This is why I never go to a new restaurant for at least a month.

But let's see - by drinks I assume you mean booze - $5x2 plus a $10 appetizer - just a guess there. I would put that at mid-range for the area. No?
I understand fully this restaurant just opened up but here's my issue. First they spent at least two weeks doing dry runs so this should of helped them with opening week bugs. Also the people that are running this places are veteran's bottom line so they should know how to do start ups and open a restaurant and most importantly understand the demographic's of their customers in the area they are in.

We went on Friday around 5:00 PM CST and found the dining room half full lots of empty table but we were told we had to wait 30 minutes. I asked why because half the dining room was empty I was told the kitchen needs time to get orders out and they are trying not to push them. I was like ok! what is wrong with the kitchen staff last time I checked experienced line cook's/chef's can easily crank out food a 200 seat restaurant without a problem this is like nothing you have people assign to certain stations grill, saute, appetizer's, salad and then you have a second person that floats of a second hand on grill, saute (maybe three here), appetizer and salads to get food out and do not have this person come in until rush time so around 5:30 PM or 5:00 PM. I saw a manager and I asked what was up and he said first three days they went full blast and kitchen could not handle it and I said maybe you need more experience cooks or check resumes for lies because they should be able to handle it and please remember after two weeks of dry runs and on top of that their own experience and background to help them weather the demand.

Well we finally were seated and waited 5 minutes for a waitress and then 25 minutes for a French Onion Soup and six Oyster Rockefeller. Then another 20 minutes for dinner and when dinner came our appetizer's were not removed. Oh yeah bread served on ice cold plates and bread still cold in the middle and to get bread again took about 20 minutes and I could see the waitress coming by our table and saying to herself ugh I forgot the bread. Dinner was "WOW!" because I felt like they were thinking they flew us to New Orleans and we were in a Michelin Star Restaurant because I had a speck of rice and a drizzle of beans and two links of Alligator Sausage. It tasted good did not care for the garnish of Red Pepper's on top too much going on with that but wow like I said earlier the demographic's people want food not Michelin Star specks! My opinion!! Rice is cheap in restaurant's you can a 50 pound box for roughly $20.00 and Beans a 20 lb box for like around $15.00 to $20.00 so load us up and put me two links of Sausage and charge me $15.00 no worries but again specks and small presentation of food is possible not going to work and the chef is not protected by the Marriott's subsidy to keep it open.

One last note I am a chef with 15 years experience with a Culinary Degree from Johnson and Wales and an Economics Degree from University of Kentucky so I hope my opinion of what I saw is valid on most eyes.
They were turning people away because they ran out of food. I believe in supporting local places, but I want to be able to eat to do this. Also, all restaurants, including chains, are local. Red Lobster employs local people, sales taxes go to our local schools, etc... Only the profits go elsewhere. Yet, I still went there and ate a meal after I was turned away.
Pat,

I've always said that restaurants in our area have to provide a minimum quantity/price ratio to stay open. I can't quantify the ratio, but the more they pay, the more the customers expect to see on their plate.

Hopefully they can get their act together.

It's interesting to note that they admit their kitchen can't handle their menu. That seems like an amateur mistake. It's the kitchen that will kill you, not the wait people.
For it's ONE, TWO, THREE strikes .....

The primary source of entertainment in the Shoals area is dinning out be it Krystal’s, Burger King. Ryan’s, Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday’s, Logan’s. etc., Bubba Burger House or whatever you want to call it. Based on the amount of money we spend in the Shoals on dinning out, anyone with a half-way decent, menu, product, selection and price can survive in this market.

Now we can add Crocodile Ed’s to the mix.

A lot of people will visit, and endure the experience of Crocodile Ed’s for bragging rights on Sunday morning after church service, or Monday morning office stories. Some will even drink themselves into a stupor and boast about their experience, while failing to realize that alcohol dulls the senses.

But this can only carry a restaurant so far, and then the discounts and Two for Specials began to appear, followed by a notice on the marquee of Under New Management, New Ownership and finally CLOSED.

Based on the reviews that I have read of Crocodile Ed’s, I’ll give them 6 months. I wish them well, but they are going to have a hard time recovering from this bad start.
My friend and I decided to check it out one evening just as a spur of the moment thing. The parking lot seemed pretty crowded for the time (5:00ish) but upon entering I see that more than half the tables are empty so I figure we will be sat right away. There were to groups in front of us and they both were handed beepers for when their tables became ready so I thought well maybe they have a large party coming and they just have to get the tables ready......no. I talk to the young lady at the front and she tells me that it will be 15-20 minutes for a table, mind you more than half the tables are empty, so I ask about the bar section. She informs me that the bar and all the surrounding tables are first come first serve so we decide to go up there. After we sat down, it was a good 10 or 15 minutes before we were greeted or even acknowledged. The bar was not crowded, one other table taken, probably 4-5 people sitting at it. It would be different if the bartender would have waved telling us it would be a minute, or if they were extremely busy, but again this was not the case. After they finally decided to talk to us, we order our drinks, and we have to ask for menus, he did not even offer to get us any. No one asked us for a refill or another drink for another 15 minutes. After the food arrived I can honestly say that I wasted an evening going to eat there. Granted I did not order something that would be classified as a specialty, however I expect a descent portion size. The chicken sandwich was tiny and the fries were almost cold.

With this being said, I do realize that it still is new and they are still trying to work out the kinks. However there are some things that need to be addressed, and I believe you should have a standard of excellence which should apply to all areas of your business. They did not have anything of the sorts. I have been a server at numerous restaurants, worked in big box retail and am now a local businessman. I have had extensive dealings with the public and there is no excuse for certain things: 10 minutes to be greeted (what happened to the 45 second greet time, and if you could not make it, you got someone else to make sure your table was welcomed/greeted in a timely manner), the staff was disengaged, slow, and not very polite (they were more interested in talking amongst themselves than greeting us or the other customers), extremely small portions (after the meal, I drove through a local fast food place for a small hamburger) and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant was lousy.

I believe in supporting local restaurants, businesses, etc, however I also believe in providing a quality service and experience for people as well. I'll give them one more try in a few months (if they make it that long), but IMHO (in my humble opinion) save your time and money. Id much rather have Demos, Logans, Rice Box, Ricatoni's, Rosies or Legends. Better food, selection, service and probably all of them have better prices.
quote:
Originally posted by localCHIK:
You guys are jerks. This is why that place has COMMENT CARDS because they are new, NOT A CHAIN and want and need the positive constructive feedback! If you have a problem with Crocodile Ed's you have a problem with your community! Its locally owned and operated by your children, friends, and neighbors.

How come I figured you'd be here? Jerks? Your family/friend's restaurant ripped us off with bad food and you have the nerve to call the people they ripped off here JERKS? You really have no possible clue what's going on there, do you?

quote:
Originally posted by Chester:
Sounds like Chef Ramsey should step in

Chef Ramsay would leave, never attempting to aid them, letting them wallow in their miserable failure.
"You guys are jerks. This is why that place has COMMENT CARDS because they are new, NOT A CHAIN and want and need the positive constructive feedback! If you have a problem with Crocodile Ed's you have a problem with your community! Its locally owned and operated by your children, friends, and neighbors."

I don't have a problem with my community; I lived away from it for 25 years and returned. Having eaten a bite in a restaurant or two during that time, I take exception to those interested parties who imply that if I can't appreciate being poorly served or poorly fed, then I must be some $5 buffet shuffler who doesn't count anyway. I call b*llsh*t.

One of, if not THE best restaurant in the United States today is less than two hours away. Why don't you hop onto I-65 and pay THEM a visit? THEN come back and tell me how I'M not supporting my community.

(You have also deeply insulted my friends, my child, and my neighbors, so show some class and apologize already.)
quote:
Originally posted by localCHIK:
You guys are jerks. This is why that place has COMMENT CARDS because they are new, NOT A CHAIN and want and need the positive constructive feedback! If you have a problem with Crocodile Ed's you have a problem with your community! Its locally owned and operated by your children, friends, and neighbors.


Negative feedback is constructive.

For a business to be successful, they need to know if their customers are not happy so that the issues can be fixed.

If no one says anything and just stops going, the business fails. If people speak out and the problems are corrected, the business works. Pretty simple concept. The folks at Ed's should be glad they are getting so many public reviews.
quote:
Originally posted by NashBama:
quote:
Originally posted by localCHIK:
You guys are jerks. This is why that place has COMMENT CARDS because they are new, NOT A CHAIN and want and need the positive constructive feedback! If you have a problem with Crocodile Ed's you have a problem with your community! Its locally owned and operated by your children, friends, and neighbors.


Negative feedback is constructive.

For a business to be successful, they need to know if their customers are not happy so that the issues can be fixed.

If no one says anything and just stops going, the business fails. If people speak out and the problems are corrected, the business works. Pretty simple concept. The folks at Ed's should be glad they are getting so many public reviews.


Agree!......thats why I wait about a month and then go.... when they got the kinks worked out...
quote:
Originally posted by localCHIK:
You guys are jerks. This is why that place has COMMENT CARDS because they are new, NOT A CHAIN and want and need the positive constructive feedback! If you have a problem with Crocodile Ed's you have a problem with your community! Its locally owned and operated by your children, friends, and neighbors.


Your post made it pretty clear who is the jerk. Just take a look in the mirror and I am positive the jerk will appear.
quote:
Originally posted by localCHIK:
You guys are jerks. This is why that place has COMMENT CARDS because they are new, NOT A CHAIN and want and need the positive constructive feedback! If you have a problem with Crocodile Ed's you have a problem with your community! Its locally owned and operated by your children, friends, and neighbors.



As for the Comment Card remark, I agree with you there Comment Cards, when there, ought to be filled out and for all I know have been by the people that had complaints. Here is the problem with your argument though, as I see it.

You seem bent out of shape about the overly negative postings here about Croc Ed's but I've never eaten there and therefore I want to hear about people's comments (good and bad). It's the best way I have of judging if errors or problems are being addressed. I know people, at the restaurant, are talking about the forum so hopefully problems will be addressed.

One problem with just using Comment Cards though. Management, Owners and the like aren't fearful of Comment Cards as they only see them. Public response and comments on the other hand tend to get more immediate and profound results because they effect many more people. I will try Ed's soon but if I get meals like are mentioned here or have the same problems that have been had I'm calling for a manager and wont pay till I talk to one.

You might have had a great experience but realize that many didn't and those that didn't either didn't get to talk to a manager or felt blown off by them and after paying that much that tends to leave someone with the reda## and that doesn't tend to go away to easily. I also will fill out a comment card (good or bad) because I want to let them know how it was but I'm glad people choose also to vent on here because I know I don't want to go right now but maybe in a few weeks things will be better handled. Public Responses here is what led me to go to Pizza Marina and the Rice Box the first times and I was glad they were posted here and they were right on with their reviews. I have no doubt that Croc Ed's reviews are also right on as well and in this case makes me want to wait a few weeks to a month to allow the restaurant owner/management to make the adjustments (hopefully).

Calling folks jerks though because they happen to post overtly negative responses due to their overtly negative experiences also isn't very fair, wouldn't you agree and can you understand how an open forum comments would get more immediate response than a comment card that no one but internal restaurant personnel sees?
quote:
Originally posted by kperk014:
I remember hearing a lot of the same complaints about Olive Garden when it first opened. It probably takes a little while to get everything humming in a new restaurant. Some eventually do, some don't. I think it's too early to judge.

PS I haven't eaten there yet.


Wow!!!! Never thought I would say this kperk, but you are today's recipient of the Stop Making Sense Award.

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